Know more about 

The Health and Well-being
of Transgender People

The Trans Health & Wellness  is a program that aims to improve the health and wellness of trans and gender-diverse people living in Canada by uniting community members, community-based organizations, and healthcare providers.

Introduction

The Trans Wellness program brings community members, community-based organizations, and healthcare providers together to improve the health and wellbeing for trans and non-binary communities.

Launched in early 2021, the Conam is a place for trans and gender-diverse people to easily access information and resources about important topics—such as sexual and mental health, navigating pathways to surgery, and social and legal transition. It is also a place where healthcare providers can learn more about how to provide competent and affirming care for trans and gender-diverse communities.

As an extension of this program, the Introduction to Affirming Spaces Training is a series of three-course modules for healthcare providers that offer insight into fostering affirming healthcare practices that better serve trans and gender-diverse patients in Alberta. The training is free and administered by a collection of healthcare practitioners, academic and community-based researchers, activists, community members, university professors, and sexual health educators. Introduction to Affirming Spaces is a series of three course modules for healthcare providers that offer insight into fostering affirming healthcare practices that better serve trans and gender-diverse patients in Canada.

Introduction to Affirming Spaces Training

 The training is free and administered by a collection of healthcare practitioners, academic and community-based researchers, activists, community members, university professors, and sexual health educators. 

Some of the topics covered include:

  • Pronouns & Inclusive Language
  • 2SLGBTQ+ Terminology 
  • Intersectionality
  • Creating Affirming Healthcare Settings
  • Transforming Rural Primary Care
  • Inclusive Practices for Healthcare Providers
  • Disability Justice
  • Queer and Trans Youth Homelessness
  • Key Considerations for Inclusive Nursing Practices
  • Inclusive Healthcare Settings for Two-Spirit and Indigenous Communities
  • Repairing Broken Relationships Between the Medical and 2SLGBTQ+ Communities

 Upon completion of all three course modules, a certificate of completion will be administered through the online educational platform Teachable.   is incredibly grateful to all of the collaborators and presenters who contributed to the Introduction to Affirming Spaces Training.

We aim to achieve the following by the end of 2025:

At the heart of Conam is a passionate commitment to fostering a Canada that embraces diversity and champions equality. Learn more about our history, values, and the dedicated team working tirelessly to make a positive impact. We also aim to build our international profile to better advocate for the rights of our communities. Conam’s Strategic Plan 2022-2025 includes an enhanced focus on working collaboratively with partners to grow the Pride movement as a means of achieving visibility and social change. 

Accessibility Action Plan

The Accessibility Action Plan is based on findings discovered through various community consultations. Our goals are to explore, define, and enhance access to health services and resources for 2S/LGBTQIA+ people through consultation and inclusion of perspectives of the people this organization is made of, by, and for.

We aim to achieve a reality where all 2S/LGBTQIA+ folks feel able to engage with the Conam’s education, programming, and services in a safe, inclusive, and meaningful way. This plan and it’s summary document is a starting point to improving accessibility; as we evolve as a community-based organization, our approach to improving accessibility will evolve as well.

Please contact us with any suggestions and feedback for increasing accessibility for all members of the 2S/LGBTQIA+ community. We believes that access to adequate health information, resources, and services is a right and that all community members deserve safe access to healthcare. Our goal is to provide the best support possible to 2S/LGBTQIA+ folks in accessing and navigating healthcare services by providing helpful health information and acting as an advocate for 2S/LGBTQIA+ folks in the Alberta healthcare system. 

Community Connectedness

But how exactly do social relationships influence our health outcomes? One way to understand this is through looking at a minority stress model. Minority stress recognizes the unique stressors minority populations face due to the unique environmental and social conditions they experience. Unlike general stressors, which anyone can experience (i.e. financial stress), minority stressors are rooted in the stigma someone faces due to their minority status (i.e. fear of being fired from a job due to homophobia). This additional stress can result in negative coping mechanisms and health outcomes.

But what does this have to do with social relationships?  Well, social relationships and support networks are recognized as an important group-level coping tool used by minority populations to counteract the negative impacts of minority stress. Positive social interactions can help you develop a sense of self, improve your well-being, and negate the excess stress caused by stigma and discrimination. Finally, community connectedness within minority populations can also serve as an important tool of empowerment and resilience that allows community members to validate one another’s experiences and feelings as minority individuals.